100 years ago in Spokane: Too much yeast proved dangerous for a jail employee tasked with disposing of some homemade suds, and there was more Hillyard drama

A county jail trusty ended up in the hospital when a bottle of confiscated home brew exploded in his hands “like a stick of dynamite.”

The trusty and several deputies were in the midst of pouring 600 bottles of home brew down the drain in the courthouse basement.

These bottles had been confiscated during several dry squad raids. Some of the bottles had clearly been brewed with too much yeast and were under high pressure.

When trusty Geoge Strandberg picked up one bottle, it blew apart and the glass cut deep gashes in his fingers and thumb.

He was treated at the emergency hospital.

Meanwhile, the deputies were handling the rest of the bottles with extra care.

From the Hillyard beat: Hillyard’s political turmoil continued when the city clerk refused to accept a petition to hold a recall election for five city council members.

The clerk was acting on the advice of a “special counsel,” who advised that the charges levied against the council members were unfounded and not serious enough to constitute malfeasance.

For that reason, the counsel said such a recall election would be “a large and useless expense” for the city’s taxpayers.

The backers of the recall drive, who supported Mayor Pat Brown in his battle with the city council, said they would file a suit to compel the city clerk to hold the election.

Also on this day

(From onthisday.com)

1919: Afghanistan declares itself independent from British control.